Official
Mustafa Sevki Efendi
Muslim (Müslüman). Born in Istanbul (Dersaadet) in 1865/66 (AH 1282). On record 1883 to 1910, 27 annual entries.
Archive reference 55_169; 335
Life#
Born in Istanbul in 1865/66 (AH 1282) into the Muslim (Müslüman) community, Mustafa Sevki Efendi was the child of an army captain (yüzbaşı). At about 18, in 1883/84, Mustafa Sevki began work in Istanbul, paid from the start, on 300 kuruş a month. The first annual entry, for 1883/84, places Mustafa Sevki in Istanbul, the birthplace, as a sergeant (Çavuş), where the entries run to 1897/98. Mustafa Sevki then moved to Aleppo in 1898/99, as a chief police commissioner (Başkomiser), and Beirut in 1899/1900, then back to Istanbul from 1900 to 1902. The annual lists then follow Mustafa Sevki to Bursa, Jerusalem (Kudüs) and Yemen from 1902 to 1908, with a rise to Polis Muduru in 1906/07. The last posts were in Beirut again from 1908 to 1910. The farthest post, Yemen, lay about 3,200 km from Istanbul, and fewer than 2 per cent of the 5,162 officials with a known birthplace and place of service served as far from the birthplace. Few officials served in as many provinces; fewer than 7 per cent of the 5,200 officials with a place of service did.
The salary went from 300 kuruş a month in 1883/84 to 2,500 in 1906/07, the peak, as Polis Muduru in Yemen, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. The final annual entry is for 1909/10. The honours of Mustafa Sevki were a rank (rütbe), the Mecidi order and a medal ("Gumus iftihar").
Places in order of time#
Each number is a stop: the birthplace, the place of first work, then every place of the annual entries in turn. The year beside an arrow is the first entry at the new place.
Born 1865/66 (AH 1282); First work 1883/84 (AH 1301); 1883 to 1898 (AH 1301 to 1315)
First work as Polis
Çavuş 1883 to 1891 (AH 1301 to 1308); 3. Sınıf Polis Komiseri 1891 to 1894 (AH 1309 to 1311); 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri 1894 to 1898 (AH 1312 to 1315)
300 to 600 kuruş a month; entries in 15 years
Career and salary#
Log scale: equal steps are equal ratios. The median of the same title is drawn for the years in which at least 5 officials with that title had a salary.
The numbers of the chart
| Year | Salary | Median, all officials | Median, same title | Paid less |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84 | 300 | 500 | 300 | 12% |
| 1884/85 | 350 | 500 | 350 | 17% |
| 1885/86 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 17% |
| 1886/87 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 18% |
| 1887/88 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 17% |
| 1888/89 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 18% |
| 1889/90 | 350 | 500 | 292.5 | 20% |
| 1890/91 | 350 | 500 | 300 | 21% |
| 1891/92 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 43% |
| 1892/93 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 44% |
| 1893/94 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 46% |
| 1894/95 | 600 | 500 | 650 | 60% |
| 1895/96 | 600 | 500 | 650 | 59% |
| 1896/97 | 580 | 500 | 585 | 72% |
| 1897/98 | 580 | 500 | 585 | 72% |
| 1898/99 | 1,000 | 500 | 900 | 90% |
| 1899/1900 | 1,350 | 500 | 920 | 94% |
| 1900/01 | 900 | 500 | 900 | 85% |
| 1901/02 | 900 | 500 | 900 | 85% |
| 1902/03 | 900 | 500 | 900 | 84% |
| 1903/04 | 1,500 | 475 | 920 | 94% |
| 1904/05 | 1,500 | 450 | 900 | 94% |
| 1905/06 | 1,500 | 475 | 900 | 93% |
| 1906/07 | 2,500 | 450 | 97% | |
| 1907/08 | 2,500 | 300 | 95% | |
| 1908/09 | 1,675 | 350 | 89% | |
| 1909/10 | 1,675 | 462.5 | 85% |
Paid less: the share of the other officials with a salary that year who earned less.
Point at a year for its salary, title, place and the median of all officials paid that year. Choose a row of the table to mark its years in the charts and its stop on the map.
| Years | Title | Place | Salary (kuruş a month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Polisfirst work | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300first-salary field |
| 1883 to 1891AH 1301 to 1308 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 to 350 |
| 1891 to 1894AH 1309 to 1311 | 3. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 |
| 1894 to 1898AH 1312 to 1315 | 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 to 580 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başkomiser | Aleppo (Halep) | 1,000 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başkomiser | Beirut (Beyrut) | 1,350 |
| 1900 to 1902AH 1318 to 1319 | Başkomiser | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başkomiser | Bursa | 900 |
| 1903 to 1906AH 1321 to 1323 | Başkomiser | Jerusalem (Kudüs) | 1,500 |
| 1906 to 1908AH 1324 to 1325 | Polis Muduru | Yemen | 2,500 |
| 1908 to 1910AH 1326 to 1327 | Polis Muduru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 1,675 |
Record#
Personal
- Born
- 1865/66 (AH 1282)
- Birthplace
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Community
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Nationality as recorded
- Turkish
- Father's occupation
- Yuzbasi
Education
- Primary
- İbtidai Mektebi (4 years)primary school
- Unpaid years (mülazemet)
- 0 years
- Preparation route (classification of the paper)
- Low
- Qualification (diploma, certificate, training or nişan)
- NoShown as in the flag of the paper. The qualification column of the recovered extract gives yes.
The years count all schooling up to that school, as the record gives them.
Languages
- Turkish
- Kitabetwriting
The glosses are cautious historical readings of the recorded words, not modern levels of proficiency.
First work
- Year
- 1883/84 (AH 1301)
- Place
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- First job as worded
- Polis
- Age at first work (workbook field)
- 19
- First salary field (kuruş a month)
- 300
- First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month)
- 300
Honours and ranks
- Rank (recorded code)
- 3; 2
- Mecidi order (recorded code)
- 5
- Medal (recorded code)
- 1
- Medal or decoration as worded
- Gumus iftihar
Recorded with#
Officials who share a place, a job title, a school, a birthplace or the year of the first annual entry. Ranks compare the highest monthly salary of each official.
Same place, same years
Of the 1,134 officials with entries in Istanbul in the same years, Mustafa Sevki Efendi had the 85th highest salary.
- Salahattin Bey17 shared years; highest salary 7,800 kuruş
- Suleyman Resat Bey17 shared years; highest salary 7,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Hayri Bey17 shared years; highest salary 5,500 kuruş
- Melkok Efendi17 shared years; highest salary 5,000 kuruş
- Mehmet Salim Bey17 shared years; highest salary 3,000 kuruş
Same job title, same years
Of the 24 officials with the title Çavuş in the same years, Mustafa Sevki Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mehmet Sait Efend8 shared years; highest salary 620 kuruş
- Sadettin Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 600 kuruş
- Haci İsmail Hakki Efendi8 shared years; highest salary 500 kuruş
- Kamil Hakki Efendi7 shared years; highest salary 750 kuruş
- Huseyin Husnu Efendi6 shared years; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
Same school
Of the 33 officials with İbtidai Mektebi among their schools, Mustafa Sevki Efendi had the 4th highest salary.
- İbrahim Ethem Efendiborn 1864/65 (AH 1281); highest salary 900 kuruş
- Mehmet Ziyauttin Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 1,000 kuruş
- Mıgırdıç Efendiborn 1862/63 (AH 1279); highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdullah Efendiborn 1861/62 (AH 1278); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Unnamed official (0049_0032; 61)born 1869/70 (AH 1286); highest salary 530 kuruş
Same birthplace
Of the 1,999 officials born in Istanbul, 1,997 have a recorded salary; Mustafa Sevki Efendi had the 104th highest salary of them.
- Abdulkadir Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 750 kuruş
- Ahmet Şevki Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 400 kuruş
- Ali Naci Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 200 kuruş
- Ali Rıza Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 1,700 kuruş
- Erdetsi Ohanyan Efendiborn 1865/66 (AH 1282); highest salary 600 kuruş
First annual entry in the same year
Of the 80 officials whose first annual entry is for 1883/84 (AH 1301), Mustafa Sevki Efendi had the highest salary.
- Mustafa Şükrü Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 1,500 kuruş
- Abdürrezzak Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Mustafa Efendifirst entry in Istanbul; highest salary 800 kuruş
- Abdullah Sıtkı Efendifirst entry in Thessaloniki (Selanik); highest salary 500 kuruş
- Azaryak Efendifirst entry in Bitola (Manastır); highest salary 600 kuruş
Full record
Annual entries (27)
| Year | Title | Place | Kuruş a month | Institution | Source | Archive reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1883/84AH 1301 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 300 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1884/85AH 1302 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1885/86AH 1303 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1886/87AH 1304 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1887/88AH 1305 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1888/89AH 1306 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1889/90AH 1307 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1890/91AH 1308 | Çavuş | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 350 | Post and Telegraph (Posta ve Telgraf) | Recovered annual personnel extract | 55_169; 335 |
| 1891/92AH 1309 | 3. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1892/93AH 1310 | 3. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1893/94AH 1311 | 3. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1894/95AH 1312 | 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1895/96AH 1313 | 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 600 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1896/97AH 1314 | 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 580 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1897/98AH 1315 | 2. Sınıf Polis Komiseri | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 580 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1898/99AH 1316 | Başkomiser | Aleppo (Halep) | 1,000 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1899/1900AH 1317 | Başkomiser | Beirut (Beyrut) | 1,350 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1900/01AH 1318 | Başkomiser | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1901/02AH 1319 | Başkomiser | Istanbul (Dersaadet) | 900 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1902/03AH 1320 | Başkomiser | Bursa | 900 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1903/04AH 1321 | Başkomiser | Jerusalem (Kudüs) | 1,500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1904/05AH 1322 | Başkomiser | Jerusalem (Kudüs) | 1,500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1905/06AH 1323 | Başkomiser | Jerusalem (Kudüs) | 1,500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1906/07AH 1324 | Polis Muduru | Yemen | 2,500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1907/08AH 1325 | Polis Muduru | Yemen | 2,500 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1908/09AH 1326 | Polis Muduru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 1,675 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
| 1909/10AH 1327 | Polis Muduru | Beirut (Beyrut) | 1,675 | Police (Polis) | Cross-ministry personnel workbook | 55_169; 335 |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- Recovered annual personnel extract
- The merged annual personnel file recovered for the replication of the first paper. Annual entries are taken from it for every official it holds.
Sources and original values (29)
| Field | Recorded value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Name | Mustafa sevki Efendi | Linked personnel workbook |
| Birth year (AH) | 1282 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace | dersaadet used on this page | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Birthplace | istanbul other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Birthplace: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Province of birth | dersaadet | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| Father's occupation | Yuzbasi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Religion | Musluman | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Nationality or community | Turkish | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Schooling | ||
| School | ibtidai Mektebi | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of schooling | 4 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Years of apprenticeship (mülazemet) | 0 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work | ||
| First work: year (AH) | 1301 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Linked personnel workbook |
| First work: Gregorian year as stored | 1884 | Recovered annual personnel extract |
| First work: place | istanbul | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: district (kaza) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: sancak | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First work: province (vilayet) | istanbul | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First job as worded | Polis | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Age at first work (workbook field) | 19 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| First salary field (kuruş a month) | 300 | Recovered annual personnel extract; Personnel attributes extract; Earlier annual personnel extract |
| First-job salary of the original workbook (kuruş a month) | 300 | Linked personnel workbook; Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Honours | ||
| Rank (recorded code) | 3 used on this page | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Rank (recorded code) | 2 other value | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Mecidi order (recorded code) | 5 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Medal (recorded code) | 1 | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
| Medal or decoration as worded | Gumus iftihar | Cross-ministry personnel workbook |
What the sources named in this table are
- Cross-ministry personnel workbook
- A personnel workbook with the annual entries in institutions other than the Post and Telegraph (justice, land registry, customs, police and others), with the same annual fields as the personnel workbook.
- Earlier annual personnel extract
- The detailed annual personnel file of October 2024. An official found only in this file keeps the years, titles and salaries it gives.
- Recovered annual personnel extract
- The merged annual personnel file recovered for the replication of the first paper. Annual entries are taken from it for every official it holds.
- Personnel attributes extract
- The detailed personnel file of September 2025, read for personal details such as birth, schooling and first work.
- Linked personnel workbook
- The original personnel workbook, from which selected fields on background and first work are taken.
- The sources give more than one value for a marked field. Every value is listed.
- Origin of the record: Post and Telegraph personnel records.
- 8 annual entries of 27 belong to the saved estimation sample of the paper.
How to read this record: calendar years, years without an annual entry, salaries and sources.
Subjects
- Mustafa Sevki Efendi
- Sergeant (Çavuş)
- Istanbul (Dersaadet)
- Primary school (İbtidai Mektebi)
- Police (Polis)
- Muslim (Müslüman)
- Chief police commissioner (Başkomiser)
- Biography of an Ottoman official (Osmanlı memurunun biyografisi)
- Career and pay (memuriyet ve maaş)
- Ottoman history (Osmanlı tarihi)
- Ottoman bureaucracy (Osmanlı bürokrasisi)
- Ottoman officials (Osmanlı'da memurlar)
- Ottoman personnel registers (Sicill-i Ahvâl defterleri)
- Ottoman registers (Osmanlı defterleri)